News reports or government announcements

House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Make Bald Eagle National Bird, Awaiting Biden's Signature

Dec 17, 2024, 02:17 AM

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to officially designate the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States. The legislation, which passed unanimously in the Senate in July, will now head to President Joe Biden for his signature. Despite being a national symbol since its placement on the Great Seal in 1782, the bald eagle has never been formally recognized by law as the national bird. The effort to correct this oversight was led by bipartisan lawmakers from Minnesota, including Senators Amy Klobuchar and Markwayne Mullin, and Representatives Brad Finstad and Angie Craig. The bill will join other national symbols in the U.S. code, such as the national anthem and the national tree, once signed into law. The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, and Preston Cook, co-chair of the center’s National Bird Initiative, played a central role in pushing for the legislation.